My Version of Glee
by princess.meli
Summary: Hi All, In Australia Glee is frquently on hiatus due to channel 10 so I decided to write my own version to satisfy my cravings.


Glee

It was Thursday the first of June and in the hallways of William McKinley High School there was only thing on everybody's minds – PROM. For head cheerleader Quinn Fabray, it was the beginning of the lead up to the greatest day of her young life. To her, being prom queen was her birth right – her mother was prom queen, her aunt was prom queen and her older sister was prom queen. However the other nominees this year were slightly un-ordinary, Quinn was up against her friend yet rival Santana Lopez and Lauren the newest member of New Directions, who is with Quinn's former baby daddy Puck. Quinn knows that she and Finn are reigning supreme again at the top of the food chain but Lauren revealing her Lucy Caboosy secret altered how the school viewed Quinn.

Meanwhile Santana had devised what she thought was a cunningly brilliant plan to be prom queen by bringing Kurt back to McKinley by enlisting the help of bully and closet gay David K. By helping New Directions while secretly helping herself to get the crown and Brittany back where she should be.

Santana needs Brittany to love her back and ditch Artie, so that they can be the powerhouse duo of McKinley and rule the halls. To many Santana may just be a bitch but Brittany knows the truth and has a battle on her hands to decide whether she wants to be with Artie or Santana and she is under pressure to decide before prom as she can only have one date.

Kurt Hummel is glad to be back at McKinley but sad to learn that he cannot invite Blaine to prom, not because two guys cannot attend together but because no non McKinley High students are permitted to attend on the night. Kurt immediately thought that he could get Blaine to come to McKinley with the promise of competing with New Directions for nationals in New York. However on second thought that did not seem realistic as Blaine basically had every solo with the Warblers and New directions had enough members fighting for solos without Blaine. Kurt saw Blaine most nights after school and on the weekends but somehow still missed him and despite the warm welcome back he received from New Directions it was not the same feeling Kurt felt when he was around Blaine.

Rachel and Mercedes were facing the same problem of not having a date, yet with such high belief in themselves they felt unable to ask anyone to go as their date. Rachel knew there was no way that Finn would pick her over Quinn, Finn after all was the number one choice for prom king and Rachel was not even in the running for prom queen. Puck was going with Lauren. Sam was the most eligible option for Rachel, but as cute as he was, Rachel was not interested.

A brain wave hit Rachel one morning, being the diva and star that she is no one would expect her to have a date and a typical teenage prom, they would expect her to provide the evening's entertainment. All Rachel had to do was gain Principal Figgin's approval and then begin to compose her brilliant set-list, easy thought Rachel to herself as she headed to Figgin's office.

Rachel was a regular in Principal Figgin's office so she just waltzed past his secretary and told Principal Figgin's of her amazing plan, making sure to convince him that she would do it for free out of her pride for McKinley. Principal Figgin's, whose mind was always on McKinley's budget agreed straight away and Rachel filled with enthusiasm immediately began to think of the songs that would showcase her voice.

Further down the hall in the staff lunch room Will Schuester and Emma Pillsbury were also talking the prom and whether being asked to chaperone was a blessing or a curse. Will had fond memories of his very own prom at McKinley, he was prom king and Terri was prom queen. Emma on the other hand had not attended prom as she was so embarrassed that no one had asked her to go. Having Will ask her about prom made Emma uncomfortable and she tried to change the subject but Will could sense something was wrong and said to Emma, "Em you did go to your prom, there is a picture of you in your dress on the staff wall, you looked beautiful."

"No, Will I did not go to prom, my mum made that dress for me so I pretended to her and my father that I was going and posed for photos before I told them that I was not going as no-one asked me" Emma responded. Hearing this gave Will an idea, one that might Emma think again about prom. For now though he just offered his support, "Emma, I am sorry to have brought up painful memories for you but you are doing so well at the moment and I am so proud of you". Nothing makes Emma happier than hearing that Will was proud of her and she was proud of herself too, since Carl left there have been big changes and the medication is working really well.

Quinn had been campaigning hard for the past couple of days and was treating herself by choosing her prom accessories at the local mall, she had not anticipated that it would be so hard to match the right pink. Her dress had been sent from New York as there was nothing suitable in Lima but unfortunately that had blown most of her allowed budget from her mother so the jewellery had to be bought in Lima. Feeling frustrated Quinn headed to buy a smoothie when she noticed Mercedes in the dress shop. Mercedes called out "Hey Quinn, could you come in and help me? I cannot choose which dress to get." "You have left it a bit late Mercedes, but sure I am sure I can help you pick the right one". Quinn headed into the shop and Mercedes tried on the first dress she was considering. The dress was gold and totally suited Mercedes' personality, "I think I don't even need to see anything else Mercedes. That dress is perfect for you" Quinn told her.

Brittany was feeling confused, even more so than usual. She knew that she loved Artie he really was the best boyfriend ever. On the other hand her love for Santana was more than that, it filled her with joy and made her feel special. To Brittany this is how you are supposed to feel with your date at prom. The problem was that Artie had asked her weeks ago and she had said yes, this was when Santana was with Sam. Now that Santana was single again, Brittany had a tough choice to make. She tried to do a list of pro's and con's but that did not work well, all she come up was with was "It's hard to hold Artie's hand going downhill he is super-fast". Brittany knew that she was not good at expressing herself through and to her a picture is worth a thousand words. When she looked up at the pictures on her wall were telling. Sure she had pictures of her and Artie but there were many more of her and Santana and the smiles were different, they looked so natural, so relaxed so right together. She knew then what she had to do.

Rachel was excited about prom; she had her dress which she thought was perfect for the stage. The hard part was choosing which songs to sing, she had so many favourite artists. Obviously any Celine songs were perfect but there were other artists such as Taylor Swift whose songs were good for prom. Principal Figgins had asked her to pick the perfect song to sing for the King and Queen's first dance and while her first thought of 'You Belong With Me' was totally true, she knew that she could not embarrass Finn like that so she had to keep thinking.

Kurt was having dinner with Blaine, when he was given the best news. "Kurt, would be my date for the Dalton Academy prom?" Blaine asked. "Of course I will be, that is fantastic". Kurt replied. In all of his worrying about the McKinley prom he had not thought of the Dalton prom, of course they would be able to bring guests. The Dalton prom is the week after the McKinley prom, in Kurt's mind it could not be more perfect, and two proms meant two outfits but for once more importantly two dates. Kurt could now take Mercedes to McKinley's prom. Kurt could not believe his luck, not many people got to go to prom with the two most special people in their life.

For Will he felt lucky enough to get a second chance to take the one most special person in his life to prom. Carrying a single yellow rose towards Emma's office Will was nervous. "What if she freaks out" he thought to himself. It was too late now to turn back. "Hey Will", Emma greeted him "How are you?" "I am great Em; I wanted to ask you something". Holding out the rose, "Will you be my date to prom?" Giving Will a smile like one he had not seen in too long,  
>"Yes Will, I would love to be your date at prom". To Emma it did not matter that it was about fifteen years too late, her dream of attending prom would come true. She wondered if the dress her mother had made all those years ago would still fit.<p>

Tina and Mike were naturally going to prom and they were both excited. Mike was in his element giving Tina dance lessons, to make sure that they were the hottest couple on the dance floor. Tina was a quick learner and had even helped add some off her own flavour. Tina was glad that Rachel had offered to perform at prom because as much as Tina loves performing on prom night she just wanted to be with Mike. Tina knew that the other members of New Direction felt the same way, so Rachel though being typically Rachely was actually helping the rest of New Direction to have the prom night they wanted.

Mercedes did however think that it was nice of Rachel to ask if anyone had any song requests for the night. It really made everyone think about their perfect prom song and over the next few days Rachel received some responses. It was still a struggle to pick a song for the King and Queen though.

Mercedes had been dressing to impress all week and speaking to lots of guys but sadly it seemed as though it was too late, everyone already had a date for prom. Mercedes was wishing that she had thought of Rachel's idea as it appeared that she was going to be at prom by herself, when Kurt approached her. "Mercedes, will you be my date for prom?" Kurt asked. "Yes of course, but what about Blaine?" Mercedes responded. "Blaine is not allowed at the McKinley prom as he is not a student here but Dalton does not have that rule so I am going to prom with Blaine". Mercedes was already just glad to have Kurt back at McKinley and now that he would be her date for prom was perfect.

Puck and Lauren were going to prom together. Sam had asked a cheerleader called Stacey to prom and Santana was going with David Karofsky as she believed that Brittany was going with Artie.

3 days before prom Brittany asked Artie to come over to her place after school. "Artie, I really don't want to do this to you, but I think you knew it was coming all along. I want to go with Santana to prom". Brittany told Artie as a tear rolled down her cheek. "It's okay B, you can't help who you fall in love with and I never was going to be a good date for you at prom. You deserve to be a star on the dance floor".

"I am so sorry that now you do not have a date; please still come on the night." Brittany pleaded with him. "Don't worry about me, I still would not miss prom, I will play in the band. "

"You really were the best boyfriend ever Artie and I really want to still be friends". Brittany said giving Artie a hug. "Always B".

As hard as it was to tell Artie the news, it was worth it to see the joy on Santana's face when Brittany told her that they would be going to prom together. "OMG, Brit are you for real?" "Totally for real San, it will be the best night".

Now all the members of New Directions just waited in anticipation of what the big night would bring.

Emma had been sad for a moment that her old dress did not fit but then pleased to note that she could make her own dress. Being as tiny as she was it was hard to find dresses that fitted her so she had become good at making her own clothes. Emma spent hours making her dream dress and now as she waited for Will on prom night she was pleased with the result. The dress was lilac and had a fitted bodice with a poof skirt, it was the quintessential prom dress and Emma thought to herself so was her date.

In order to make the night perfect for Emma, Will had rented a BMW and picked Emma up himself. When Emma answered the door, Will was shocked, "Wow Em you look beautiful", he said as he slipped a corsage on her wrist. "Thank you Will, you look very handsome yourself."

The night of prom was a beautiful night and as dates saw each other there was shock and amazement in who was wearing what. Quinn was dazzling in her pink dress and Finn was the perfect match in his tuxedo and pink tie. Rachel had opted for a red dress, Tina was in green, Santana in silver, Brittany in turquoise, Lauren in black and of course Mercedes in gold. The guys all were in tuxedos and Kurt had a gold waistcoat to match Mercedes. Corsages were given out and photos were taken before everyone hopped in the limo that left from Quinn's house.

As New Directions entered the gym they were amazed at how well it had been transformed into a ball room. They were balloons everywhere and the disco ball made everything shimmer. Rachel took to the stage "Welcome everyone to the McKinley High Junior Prom 2011. " "It is time for the first dance". Everyone took to the floor with Brittany and Santana leading the way and Rachel began to sing.

Later on in the night Principal Figgins took to the stage "Everyone it is time for the announcement that you have all been waiting for". A hush fell across the gym, "The prom King is … Finn Hudson and his Queen – by the smallest winning margin ever is … Quinn Fabray".

Lauren's stomach dropped but the joy on Quinn's face made her feel better and she was proud of coming second, prom princess isn't bad. Quinn and Finn took to the floor for their dance. Quinn was overjoyed with the result, "I love you, Finn, thank you for coming back to me". "I love you too, Quinn".

Santana and Brittany were having the best time at prom, dancing up a storm. Brittany could not help but feel guilty about Artie who was sitting all alone by the bleachers. As if she had read Brittany's mind, Rachel announced that it was time to ask someone else to dance. Brittany grinned and made a bee-line for Artie. Quinn went to Mr Schuester and Finn went to Miss Pillsbury.

Emma was having the best night of her life, no one could believe that she had made her own dress and having Will dance with her was the most amazing feeling, although they could not dance as much as they wanted too as they were chaperones. Tina and Mike were having a great time and they were definitely the hottest couple on the dance although Brittany and Santana were hot too.

As happy as he was having Quinn as his queen, Finn was a bit disappointed that Rachel had been on stage all night, he really did want one dance with her. She looked beautiful and her amazing singing was really getting to him. Finn went up to Mercedes and Kurt. "Hey guys, do you think you could do an impromptu duet on stage so Rachel can have a dance." Kurt replied "Sure, you do not have to ask us twice." As Rachel came off the stage, Finn was quick to reach her "May I have this dance?" As much as Rachel loved being on stage she did want to have a dance at her prom, especially one with Finn. No one wanted the prom to end, except for Puck who had planned a wicked after party. "Everyone it's time for the last dance, so be sure to join your special someone for the last time."

As all the couples embraced on the floor and the lights dimmed it was really the prom everyone had dreamed off and more. For Quinn especially with the crown on her head, even having Finn dance with Rachel could spoil her mood.

At the end of prom the whole gang clambered back into the limo and headed back to Puck's for his after party. As the alcohol flowed and inhibitions were lost it all went a little bit wild. Everyone was letting loose and having a ball.

Things were more romantic at Will's. "Thank you so much for tonight Will; I am so glad to have had my junior prom even if was a little late." Emma said as they continued to dance in Will's living room. "You are more than welcome Emma; there is something I need to ask you, New Directions need another chaperone for Nations in New York City, there is no one else I would consider asking." Will said. "Wow Will I would be honoured to help take the kids to NYC with you." Emma replied as they embraced.

Now that prom was over, New Directions had something even more important to focus on; Nationals were only a week away. The school term was over for the year, which was perfect timing as Sue's relentless teasing of Will had hit fever pitch. Sue's disappointment in not having the Cheerios' wins their seventh consecutive national championship and having New Directions up for nationals was intense. One of Sue's favourite tactics was to use students, on the last day of school she had a student go up to Will and tell him that he was a great motivator because in ten years he does not want to end up divorced and still stuck in high school. Will was pretty used to the teasing but he definitely did not find Sue's joke funny, "If a triple threat is someone who can sing, dance and act, what do you call someone who can do none of these things? Will Schuester."

Being able to practise without Sue and slushies at 10am was great and the club was really coming together. Will and Emma were growing closer every day and Emma was working hard on a special surprise of her own and to prepare herself for her first ever plane ride. The thought of NYC with Will was worth the struggle.

The battle for who would sing what was fought tooth and nail, but in the end everyone was happy with the decision. Mercedes was going to sing the solo with help from Quinn and Tina. Rachel and Finn were tackling the duet and Kurt and Santana were leading the group number, during which Brittany and Mike were going to dance. Costumes were more important than ever and Quinn and Emma were working extremely hard to come up with multiple outfits.

Despite the chilly morning and having to get up at 5 in the morning, spirits amongst the club could not be higher. The day everyone had been waiting for had finally arrived, it was time for Nationals. First they were catching a bus and then boarding the plane to NYC. Whilst on the bus no one could sit still and the songs were flowing. With Will's help Rachel managed to get everyone's attention, "I found the perfect song that represents this trip for all of us and I want to sing it for you."

_Here we are, sharing our lives, we made it through the good and bad times and still we stand with hope in our hearts. No matter what we will play our part and now we've come so far. One chance to touch a star go higher and higher. Find your guiding inspiration in a place where dreams are made with a lifetime's preparation. There's no time to be afraid put our differences behind us while we shine like the sun see what we've all become Together we are one."_

When Rachel finished singing everyone cheered, "That really was perfect Rachel." Will said as Emma stood up and headed to the front of bus, "I have a present for all of you, something to show everyone that you are a team and a way of thanking you for inviting me to come with you. " Emma went around and passed out a package to all the kids and Will, as they tore into them they found a denim vest with their names embroidered on the back and NYC Nationals 2011 embroidered on the front. "Wow, Miss P, these are great. Thanks so much." Will loved his vest but he noted as everyone put their vests on that he noticed that Emma did not appear to have made herself one. He thought to himself that he would have to get her something special as a way of thanking her.

The bus ride ended quickly and soon they were all checking in at the airport. For many of the group it was their first time on a plane and some were a bit nervous mainly Brittany and Emma. Will was trying his best to assure Brittany that the pilots knew what they were doing and with Santana's help they were able to convince Brittany onto the plane. Fortunately for all involved the take-off was smooth and they were on their way.

Rachel was seated next to Finn and they were practising their duet when Finn stopped singing and said, "Rachel you do know that I broke up with Quinn? I did it because I just could not stop thinking about you."

"Finn, I am touched that you broke up with Quinn for me but I am not sure if now is the time for us to get back together". Rachel replied. "I disagree Rachel, I think now is the perfect time for us, in NYC singing together at Nationals hasn't that always been your dream" Finn said to her as her reached for her hand. "Well when you put it like that then yes it is our time". Rachel said as she squeezed his hand back.

Emma was amazed at how easy flying was, it actually suited her everything was sterilized and cleaned to perfection so as she began to relax, Mercedes came up to her. "Hey Miss P, can I talk to you". "Sure Mercedes, what's the matter." Emma replied. " I know I make out that I am the biggest diva and all but I am really nervous about Nationals, earning the solo means the world to me but I have never performed in front of and audience and judges before. I feel like I can't tell Mr Schue as I don't want him to lose faith in me." "Well first of all, Mr Schue would never lose faith in you but I understand your nerves, I think you need to take some time to relish in the moment, the group chose you because they believe in you and your ability to wow everyone, think of as though they have been saving you for this moment rather than worry about why they haven't picked you to perform before." Emma told the noticeably worried girl. "Thanks Miss P, I had not thought of it like that before, I know I will still be nervous but I think I can channel that into a mind blowing performance." Mercedes responded. "That's the right attitude Mercedes, I suspect that you will all be nervous on the day, I know I would be, but without nerves there would be no strength or determination to get through the performance."

Meanwhile Kurt was thinking of Blaine back in Lima, he really wished that Blaine would be in New Directions with him or at least in the audience to watch them but there was no spare money for a plane ticket and accommodation. Kurt was so happy that he would be featured in Nationals and was surprised at how well his and Santana's voices had blended together for their original group number that had been written by the club. Sadly there had not been enough time to also write a solo and a duet for their performance but Kurt felt confident that the package of their 3 songs would set them apart from the competition, there was no more time to ponder anyway as the plane was landing.

"We made it!" Tina and Brittany yelled out. "Welcome to NYC, please follow me," said the show choir director as they filed out of the airport. The National competition was to be held in a hotel that had been booked out and a sign welcoming all competing glee clubs was hanging above the entrance.

The group gathered in the lobby as Will announced room-mates. "Okay guys, I know how excited you all are and we will be out exploring soon but this is important you need to stick together and your room-mates are your buddies okay so listen up – boys are as follows – Room 1 Finn, Kurt and Sam. Room 2 Puck, Mike and Artie. Girls –Room 3 Rachel, Mercedes, Lauren and Santana. Room 4 Brittany, Quinn and Tina. Everyone get settled in and we will meet back here at 6 for dinner, please behave yourselves".

As they all headed upstairs to their rooms, Will noticed a big mistake, they had only been allocated 5 rooms, the kids had taken 4 rooms between the 13 of them that left only 1 room for him and Emma. "Emma, there has been a mix-up; it looks as though we are sharing a room. I thought we had booked 6 rooms, but I guess the budget could only afford 5, I don't mind sharing with Finn and that so you can have the room to yourself." Will said to Emma. "Will, don't be silly of course you and I can share a room, I did not expect to get a room to myself that would have been a waste of precious funds." Emma replied as they entered their room.

Tina was the first one to the window and the view of the city was breath-taking. "Wow, you have to come and see this, how amazing." She called out to the other girls. "I cannot believe that we are finally here" Replied Brittany, "I agree Brit, it seems as though it really is magical I cannot wait to perform tomorrow" Quinn said as she joined the girls in looking out the window.

Everyone re-gathered for dinner and the group headed off to a pizza parlour. Everyone rushed to the booths and began choosing toppings. Conversation flowed about the must-sees of NYC; at the top were the Statue of Liberty, Macy's and a Broadway show. After dinner the group went on a walk to Times Square, the lights were out of this world and a hush fell over the group as they took it all in. "This truly is the most magical place on earth" Rachel said out loud. "Do you think that dreams really do come true here?" Kurt asked, "We will find out tomorrow, guys but for now I think we all need to get some sleep."

Back at the hotel Will and Emma did the checks to make sure everyone was in the room and knew how important it was to actually get some sleep before heading to their room. "Emma I am so proud of you, this trip would not have been as organized as this without you and I promise that tomorrows night's dinner will be better than pizza." Will told her, "No worries, I will admit I was nervous and that that was my first slice of pizza, but I really liked it. This trip is all about new experiences." Emma responded as she got into bed.

The next morning there was last minute nerves and worries about lyrics and chorography, but all in all everyone felt confident. They were in the second heat but all teams had to be present for every heat so at 9am they filed into the ball room.

The first heat was made up of 5 teams from the west coast; they were all really good especially the team representing California. "WOW" Brittany whispered to Santana "Did you see their dancing, that girl was awesome." "Don't worry, B you are way better than that, you and Mike will rock it out there." "Rachel and I have a surprise that will also help us to win; we have written an original song for ourselves." Finn excitedly told the group. "Somehow the prayer was not working for us and we were inspired in New York to write our own duet". Rachel added. "Well that's great guys, let's hope the judges love it" Will said.

Before anyone could comfortable watching the other teams, New Directions were called into the green room. "I am so proud of you all, I just want you to go out there and prove to everyone that a first time team can win". "All in one two three, NEW DIRECTIONS."

Mercedes stood alone under a single spotlight and the lone pianist began to play.

"_If I should stay, I would only be in your way. So I'll go but I know I'll think of you every step the way. And I will always love you, will always love you."_

"_You, my darling you, bittersweet memories that is all I am taking with me, so goodbye please don't cry we both know I am not what you need."_

"_And I will always love you, I will always love you"_

"_I hope life treats you kind and I hope you have all you dreamed of and I wish you joy and happiness but above all this I wish you love"_

_And I will always love you ohhh, I will always love you, I will always love you ohhh "_

"_I will always love you"_

"_Darling I love you,_

_I will always love you."_

Mercedes looked stunning on stage and her performance was stellar, particularly the last few notes and you could see that the crowd had reacted to the performance which made Mercedes so happy.

Finn and Rachel took to the stage, this time with two spotlights and Rachel's dress sparkled under the disco ball that was lowered.

Finn: "_You only get one chance in this life to make a first impression. You can never get it back, so much pressure to get it right. If it all goes to plan it will make you smile, if it all falls apart it will make you cry."_

"_But there is someone out there who will not care and when you've found that some-one you realise it will all be alright."_

"_That person is the one, the only one, they are the person who will make you feel complete."_

Rachel_: "Never thought I'd be so inspired to be with you, to allow myself to break free from all my pain, you turned my life around, made me feel special inside. I have you to thank for everything that is good in me."_

"_You are the one , the only one, my saving grace in this world, the one I can look to in troubled times , the one I can count on to pull me through and the one who will stand by me."_

Together:_ "You are the one, the only one I love with all my heart"_

The group number was the closing number and everyone had adrenaline pumping through them, Kurt and Santana were at the front of the stage with Brittany and Mike just behind them.

Santana opened with

"_Here we are now; it's just like my dream"_

"_The dream that got me through so many sleepless nights''_

"_On a night like this, who knows what could happen, Its time to take a leap into the unknown, to open the door and to take a different road'  
><em>All:_ "Tonight's the night it will all come together, all the heartache, all the tears but also all the joy has lead us all up to this."_

"_Tonight's the night dreams will come true"_

Kurt: "_And when you are dancing around the hotel room in the glow afterwards you know that tonight was the night that some people wait their whole life for and every second was worth it"_

All:_ "Tonight's the night it will all come together, all the heartache, all the tears but also all the joy has lead us all up to this."_

"_Tonight's the night dreams will come true"_

At the close of their set, Will was the first one to reach them and start a group hug. "That was so amazing; I really think that we could place with that effort". "How much longer is it until they post the results?" Rachel asked. "I believe that they are posted at the end of the day and will consist of the two top teams going through and rank the remaining teams." Emma answered. Sitting through the rest of the day was almost as nerve-wracking as waiting to perform. It was hard to know what the judges were looking for and the crowd appeared to love every performance.

Finally the day ended and the results were announced on stage, they worked their way up from the team in last – 15th place. Each time New Directions did not get called excitement rose amongst its members. It had come down to the top four, "Will the following four teams please join me on stage, New Directions, Vocal Adrenaline, Broadway and California Girls. "

"It gives me great pleasure to present the four highest placing teams in today's heat; unfortunately only two of them can advance to the finals. In fourth place …. Broadway, in third place….. New Directions". The smiles fell slightly from 13 faces as they all would have liked to perform again but to come so close was still good for their first attempt.

"In second place and advancing to the final is California Girls, so today's winner and also advancing to the finals are Vocal Adrenaline." Cheers erupted from the audience and from on stage as trophies were presented and teams celebrated.

"I wonder what it was that made us miss out". Finn pondered "I think it would have been experience, both the top two are Nationals veterans whereas it was only our first time, there is still next year." Will responded "I still that you all should be proud of what you achieved today."

"Don't forget that we are still in New York for one more night, I think that as a reward you should be allowed to have a fun night by yourselves." Will told them all. "Just stay safe and go in groups if possible, also be home by 11pm." Emma added.

They all gathered in the lobby to plan the night ahead. "This is so great, when you think about it we do still need to celebrate". Kurt said. "Yea the only problem is money, what can you do in New York for about 10 dollars a person?" Finn asked the group. As Santana pulled out her I-phone, Tina spoke up "We could always just walk around and go to Central Park and stuff, my dad said that New York is an amazing city to wander and that you will never guess what you might find." "I agree with Tina, I think just being in New York is enough for me let's go exploring." Mercedes added. "I found a diner that has all meals for 9 dollars on forty second street that is retro themed and has karaoke that sounds fun." Santana said. "Sounds like fun to me, I could do with some light hearted singing after all the stress of competition" Sam said. "It's settled then let's get changed and meet here at 6 pm" Rachel, always the leader, said.

Meanwhile Will had planned this all along and he had big plans for Emma and himself for the night. "Em, did you bring something fancy?" Will called out to Emma who is in the bathroom getting ready. "I did bring a nice dress, do you think that will do." Emma now felt a bit panicked she hated being under-dressed. "I'm sure it will be Em, I really should have told you but I did not want to spoil the surprise, are you nearly ready? We have to leave soon." Will asked. "Sure I am just finishing up; the kids did so well today, I hope they have fun tonight as well." Emma said. "I am sure that they will, I think they are all heading out together.  
>Will answered as Emma appeared, "Wow Emma, you look great that dress is totally appropriate." Emma instantly relaxed and happily posed for a photo near the window to capture the view and her. "Let's go Em, your magical night awaits."<p>

The kids had successfully made it to the diner after taking a few wrong turns, letting Santana and Brittany give directions was not the greatest plan. "YAY, that's it guys, looks super retro and cool" Kurt called out as they went in and asked if they could have a table for 13, they were guided to a giant booth along the back wall. "This place is so funky I love it, I guess there is really something for everyone in NYC." Quinn said "The food looks great too; I could go for a burger." Mike added as everyone was looking at the menu impressed that everything was 9 dollars. Everyone ordered and the special shake was the top choice to drink and burger and fries to eat.

Will and Emma's dinner definitely did not cost 9 dollars; they were dining at the aptly named Top of the Tower, which was on the 26th storey and had fabulous of the night skyline. Emma was enchanted by the restaurant and forgot most her fears as they were seated and served champagne. "This is breath-taking Will, thank you so much." "You are more than welcome Emma; I think we both deserve this, what would you like to order?" Will asked "I'm not sure" Emma responded, confusion and embarrassment evident on her face as she looked at the menu. Will realised that given Emma's dining experience she probably had no idea what her options even were. "Em, would you like me to order for both of us" Will decided to save Emma from potentially ordering frog legs. "Good Evening and welcome to the tower, are you ready to order?" The waitress asked the pair. "Yes please, we will have the fillet mignon and the cordon bleu" Will answered. "I think New York is my new favourite city, I always dreamed of going of coming here as a little girl, I collected pictures of New York and Paris. I never thought I would make it to either city." Emma said to Will as he reached for her hand across the table, "I agree with you, New York has always been my favourite city since I came here as a 10 year old for my first Broadway show."

The food appeared and Will took the fillet mignon giving Emma the cordon bleu. Will was so proud of Emma as she ate the whole meal, without really knowing what it was or how it was prepared. "This is delicious Will, you always make the right choices, how is yours?" Emma asked. "Also delicious, it is cooked to perfection" Will replied.

As Will and Emma continued to enjoy their evening back at the diner the gang had moved onto karaoke. Without any pressure, everyone enjoyed letting go and singing any song they felt a desire to, particularly cheesy nineties pop, a new Spice Girl group was formed with Brittany as baby, Rachel as Posh, Mercedes as Scary, Tina as Sporty and Quinn as Geri. The guys didn't let the girls have all the fun; they too took on the Backstreet Boys. "I don't want to go to back to Lima, I wish we could stay in New York forever" Tina announced. "Me too, I really want to come back to New York after senior year" Kurt agreed. "We should all come back as a National reunion, say five years from now." Mercedes proposed to the group "When we are all super successful and we can remember where it all began". There was a general agreement with this idea and then sadly it was time to head back to the hotel allowing for some final happy snaps along the way.

Will definitely did not want to leave New York, but he had one last surprise for Emma, as a favour for the vests she made the group he was taking her on a horse and carriage ride through Central Park. This idea was not just for Emma though as Will had always wanted to go on this ride too and he knew that Emma would love it. The pair finished their meal and left the restaurant heading in the direction of Central Park, "Will, where are you taking me?" Emma asked. "Relax Em, you will really enjoy this, we are going to have a horse and carriage ride together". Will told her as once again he reached for her hand and lead her to the carriage. They hoped in and made themselves comfortable. Not for the first time tonight Emma was speechless and felt like a princess. "Will this is the best night life of my life, I did not think you could top prom easily but this has blown that out of the water." Emma told him as she snuggled in closer to his chest. "You deserve it all Emma, I organised this night as a way of thanking of you for helping me chaperone and for making the vests." Will said as he put his arms around Emma as they both felt contempt with silence.

The kids made it back to the hotel just in time but were surprised to not be checked on by Mr Schue or Miss Pillsbury. Then it dawned on them that were allowed this night on their own so that their chaperones too could have a night to themselves. "Woo go Mr S, a hot date in NYC." Puck called out to no one in particular. "Well I am not going to sleep until we have to, slumber party for the girls in our room." Brittany called out. As all the girls headed to get changed into the pyjamas. The boys decided that they would crash the girls' party and went to change before surprising the girls. In Room 3 the girls were spread out across the beds with Tina braiding Brittany's hair and the others looked over NYC travel guides dreaming about what they would do if they had the money and time. "A Broadway show, is the number one choice, always has been." Rachel said to no-one's surprise, "I would have to agree with you there Rach, I would love to see the Lion King." Mercedes added. "Can anyone hear anything?" Quinn asked as the guys not so subtly were eavesdropping on the girls, "I bet it's the guys, we should let them in" said Lauren.

"Hey, do you girls want to play a game?" asked Puck "Never Have I Ever!" squealed Mercedes. "What?" asked Finn, "Never Have I Ever," repeated Santana, rolling her eyes. "You know, one person says 'Never have I ever broken a bone' or 'been kissed' or something and anyone who has done it has to take a drink." "Only the person saying 'never have I ever' has to say something they have done," added Mercedes. The kids resumed their spots around the room, forming a loose circle, and Puck popped the top off the first bottle, pouring a bit in each person's cup.

"Alright, first of all, we have to tell the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it is," Mercedes said seriously, "Everyone should promise," Brittany said wide-eyed, staring around at them. There was a chorus of vaguely reluctant sounds of agreement and she sat back, content. "I'll go first," Mercedes said confidently. "We'll start with something easy... Alright. Never have I ever broken a bone." She tipped her head back and took a gulp. Finn drank, Puck drank, Matt drank and Mike drank. Artie snorted sourly and sipped his. Brittany just looked confused. No one else moved. "This is too easy," Puck complained. "Let me go next." "That's not how you play," Rachel interjected. "You go around the circle." She was sitting next to Mercedes. "Go on, then," Puck sighed, annoyed.

"Fine," she said primly, sitting up straighter and folding her hands in her lap. "Never have I ever helped an old lady cross the street." "Lame," proclaimed Puck, just a bit flirtatiously. "Come on, Berry. It's not that hard." "Alright, then," she said, glaring at him. "Never have I ever stolen a car." She tipped back her head defiantly and drank. Then Kurt- to everyone's shock- followed suit. "Now these stories I wanna hear," Puck proclaimed, lounging back.

Rachel blushed profusely. "It wasn't a big deal. I mean… I guess it was, but… anyways. There was this performance I really wanted to see, a live production of Hairspray, and my dad's wouldn't let me go, so I snuck out of the house and stole my neighbour's car. They had left their keys out." "Similar story," Kurt said in the same embarrassed tone of voice. "My dad wouldn't let me go to this concert, so I just drove off in the car I was working on in his shop." "Nice," Finn said appreciatively, and both turned even redder, this time with pleasure.

"My turn," Quinn said, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed. "Never have I ever punched someone in the face." She drank, Puck drank, Finn drank, Tina drank, Mercedes drank and Rachel drank. There was a moment of hesitation, but no one asked for the stories, so it was Puck's turn.

He grinned wickedly before saying, "Never have I ever been drunk." He drank deeply. Santana and Brittany both drank. Quinn drank, Matt drank, and Tina drank. Again, no one asked for stories, and it was Santana's turn. "Never have I ever kissed a girl." "Kissed how?" asked Rachel. "On the cheek, or…""On the lips," she said, grinning a vaguely shark-like grin. "For more than three seconds." "For guys, too?" asked Puck.

"No," she said. "This one's just for the girls." The three cheerios all drank, then, to everyone's surprise, so did Tina. But for the moment, no one asked, though several of the guys were growing more and more curious about the quiet Asian girl by the second. It was Kurt's turn.

"Let's get into some emotional ones, shall we?" he asked, lounging back on the couch. "Never have I ever felt like my parent's least favourite child." There was a long pause- actions were easy. Emotions were harder. But eventually people came clean. Puck drank. Artie drank. Matt drank. Brittany, still looking confused, drank. "Never have I ever… had a crush on one of the teachers," Rachel said. "A crush, or just made out with?" asked Brittany. "Either." Brittany, Puck, and Rachel all drank, everyone in the room bordering on hysterics as they got more and more tipsy.

"Never have I ever…" Mercedes hesitated, thinking. "Never have I ever gone skinny dipping!" Nearly half of the room drank. Mike, Sam, Puck, Rachel, and a wistful looking Artie were the ones who didn't raise their glasses.

"Never have I ever eaten a worm," Finn said. Tina drank, as did Puck, to a chorus of 'ews' was said. Never have I ever sung karaoke to Justin Bieber," Mike joked. Chuckling sheepishly, Finn and Rachel lifted their glasses.

The game was coming to an end as the kids heard Will and Emma talking out the front of the rooms "I say we make a pact," Kurt yawned. "A what?" Finn asked. "You know kind of a promise." "I'm not promising to talk to any of you in public, if that's what you want," Santana said hastily. "Don't worry," Kurt said. "Just repeat after me". "Wait," Finn said. "Can we do one together?"

Kurt blinked in confusion, but Puck was nodding. "Like the football one?" he asked his friend, and Finn nodded. "Put your hand over your heart." Finn looked around and to his surprise, everyone did so without complaint. "I promise to remember this night," Finn said. "I promise to remember all of you," Puck said. "Remember all of you as friends," Sam added. "Remember all of you as family," Quinn smiled. "I promise to treat you as family," Kurt declared, catching on. "To share my happiness," Santana said. "And take your sadness," Brittany added. "I promise to listen," Mercedes spoke. "And be there when you need me," Mike added. "Promise to see you as yourselves," Tina whispered. "And promise to help you get there," Artie said. "I promise to do all I can for as long as I can," Rachel finished just as Will opened the door, "Hey guys, sorry we were so late, it's time for bed now, but I hope you had a great night". Everyone followed Will out into their room. "Wake up is at 7:30, we need to get to the airport on time." Will reminded everyone.

The next morning Emma was the only one up at 7:30, she is always an early riser so she had the un-fun task waking everyone up, starting with Will. "Good morning handsome" she said as she gently shook Will, "Good morning to you gorgeous, are you always this cheerful in the morning?" Will asked as he slowly got up, "Yes and it's a good thing I am as it's already 7:35 and I am pretty sure that we are the only two awake" Emma replied as they both headed to the door to get the kids up. "I know you think that if we miss the plane we can all just stay here longer, but I can guarantee all that will happen if we miss the plane is that we will all be on the bus for 15 hours instead." Will called out to everyone, which seemed to do the trick as one by one they emerged from their rooms holding bags filled to the brim with souvenirs. A few last minute photos were taken and then sadly they were on the mini-bus and on their way home. The trip home was smooth but spirits were low as no one wanted to go home to Lima after the excitement of New York. Emma decided to raise their spirits, "Hey, don't forget it's the summer holidays now and I found out yesterday that next year's Nationals are in Los Angeles at the Kodak Theatre." "That's awesome, that is where they film the Grammys and the Oscars." Rachel added.

The rest of the flight was spent discussing summer plans and before they knew they were back in Ohio. Most parents had come to meet the group, "Well Done New Directions, we are still proud of you" Carole and Burt called as the group came through the gate. Blaine was also waiting and Kurt headed straight to him, "OMG it was amazing Blaine, we have to go together sometime". "Definitely, I missed you and it's a total bummer that you just missed out on the next round." "True, but I still had the best week and when you think about I have had a pretty awesome year." Kurt said with a smile watching as everyone was re-telling tales of the trip to their families.

Finn and Rachel holding hands shocked Carole as she had not known that Finn had dumped Quinn, but to see how relaxed and happy Finn was again would make any mother smile and Quinn also seemed happy as she headed home with her mom.

Will and Emma waited until everyone had left the airport and then Will realised that he had picked Emma up on the way to the airport so he needed to take her home too, "Em, shall I take you home, you look exhausted." Will offered as he picked up her bag, "Thanks Will." Emma responded as they headed towards his faithful blue car. "Em, you were amazing on the trip, I could not have done it without you." "It was my pleasure, also I want you to know that my therapist suggested I keep a diary of every "first" I have and I think that this trip will need a book of its own and I owe it all to you." Emma said as she gazed at Will with her lovely eyes sparkling. Emma did not want to leave Will but they had just pulled up at her condo when Emma noticed the "For Sale" advertising her unit, her mouth dropped and her heart sunk with the realization that Carl must have been up to no good. "It's Carl, we had a pre-nup done in Vegas and everything became joint property. He must have exercised his right to sell my condo." Emma said as she began to panic, if her condo was sold where she would live. There was a note taped to the front door and Emma handed it to Will. Will read the letter, "Em, it says the contract is due to be signed tomorrow morning and that you need to have all your belongings out by then and you need to be at the signing tomorrow morning at 10 if you want your share of the money. I can't believe Carl would do this to you." Will said as he hugged Emma who was now nearing hysterics, he gently got her inside to the couch. "It's okay Em I'll come with you tomorrow and I'll help you pack your stuff, you can come and stay with me" Will said in the hope that it would calm Emma down. "I can't believe how stupid I was to marry Carl and agree to this, I love my condo and now it's gone." Emma said. "Don't be so hard on yourself, you loved Carl and when you love someone you do things you regret later on, trust me I know." Will responded as he headed to Emma's bedroom to begin packing her stuff, upon entering her bedroom he had to stop himself from swearing and wanting to punch Carl's face in. Carl had ransacked Emma's room and torn apart all of her belongings including her clothes, jewellery and more, Will could not believe that anyone would do this to Emma.

Will saw that her pinup board was covered in pictures of New York, the kids and a picture of him and Em and that the words inspiration were written across the top but Will wanted to cry as Carl had come along and scribbled all over it, "Freak who needs inspiration to go on vacation" and torn up the picture the Will and Emma and the glee club. Will did not want Emma to see this so he put straight into the trash bag, before he called out "Em, I am not sure how to tell you this but Carl has ruined most of your belongings." Before Will could compose himself Emma was at the door her mouth instantly dropped open and tears fell. Will was quick to reach her and wipe the tears. "Will, can you please just get rid of everything for me; I can't bear to look at everything that Carl has ruined, what happened to my inspiration board?" Will hated lying to Emma but he could not bear to tell her the truth, Carl must have thrown it out Em, I didn't see it." Emma looked heart-broken as she headed back down the stairs "Will I will pack up the lounge and kitchen, please just get rid off everything ruined or not."

Will did as Emma said, it was hard to see all her beautiful and treasured possessions be turned to rags but Will knew that it could not be saved, however going through Emma's cupboard revealed a diary that had obviously been hidden from Carl and contained Emma's innermost thoughts Will could help but put it in his bag he knew Emma would thank him for it later. Once her room was bare and two trash bags were full Will went downstairs to find the lounge room and kitchen in a similar state and Emma fast asleep on the couch. Seeing her sleeping face void of the pain Will knew she felt made Will's heart break and he picked her up and put her in her bed and then too fell asleep on her couch.

Will woke early the next morning confused at first about being on Emma's couch, he stumbled into the kitchen for coffee, he really hoped had Emma had some sort of milk as Will could not function in the morning without coffee, he was in luck Emma had milk, sugar and coffee. After his coffee, Will went upstairs to Emma's room and he found her still sleeping in the pose he left her in last night. Her bedroom looked so odd without her personal touches. Will noted the time and decided to go back to his house and shower and change before the meeting with Carl; he left Emma a quick note and then left. Quinn who lived near Emma and knew where Emma lived was surprised to see a for sale sign on her condo and to see Will live at 7:30 in the morning. She instantly though that Emma had sold to move in with Will and was pleased she loved the idea of her favourite two teachers living together.

Emma woke up soon after Will had left and was sad to realize that he had gone before she saw the note and noted that she too needed a shower before seeing Carl again, she felt scared but knew that he could not hurt her in the offices of the real estate. She panicked when she realized that Carl had ruined all her clothes before she remembered her suitcase from New York and the few unworn outfits from the trip.

The trip to the real estates was mainly in silence, Will was careful not to say anything to worry Emma and Emma was concentrating on her breathing the last thing she wanted was for Carl to know the pain she was in because of what he did. When they entered Carl was clearly shocked to see Will, which pleased Emma enough to say "Hello Carl, I must admit I was surprised to see you found a buyer so quickly." "I found a buyer for both properties actually, I am moving to Los Angeles so we are settling both today and you will walk away with your share of each and then all contact between us will end" Carl stated. Will noticed that neither of them mentioned the fact that Carl had ransacked Emma's bedroom but he decided that was between them and did not say anything.

The whole thing was over really quickly and Will could see that Emma was relieved when they walked out the door. "I am proud of you Emma; I know how hard that must have been for you". "Thanks for coming with me I know Carl was easier to deal with because of you but now let's go bank my cheque and then go shopping I can't handle wearing the same outfit twice in a week" Emma said with a smile. "Em, I don't think that I would be your best shopping partner, I could ask some of the girls though I am sure they would love to help you pick new clothes." "That sounds like a good idea, Will Quinn has great taste in clothes and we became close making the costumes for Nationals I will ask her now." Emma said as she pulled out her cell phone and found Quinn's number. "Hi Quinn, its Miss Pillsbury, listen this may sound strange but I was wondering if you could come shopping with me and help me pick some new outfits." Quinn was surprised but answered with a yes, "I am actually at the mall with Brittany at the moment we can meet you at the fountain in half an hour." "Okay perfect thanks Quinn, see you then." Emma said as she hung up.

"How about I drop you and then I will go and clear the bags from your condo and lock it up for good before giving the keys back." Will offered, "I think is also a good idea, it would take me ages to do a final clean and locking it up is so sad." Emma replied "I am going to have to start looking for a new condo too; it doesn't seem real that I do not have anywhere to go at the end of day." "Em, you can stay with me for as long as you need you are always welcome." Will said as he dropped her off at the mall, "Just have fun shopping with the girls."

"Hi Miss Pillsbury" Brittany said, "Why do you need new clothes? Your clothes are so pretty." Quinn was embarrassed at Brittany's bluntness she had not told her what she had seen that morning and Quinn thought that Emma wanted some new clothes for time with Will. "It's a long story Brittany, my ex decided it was time to sell my condo and all my belongings went with the house." Emma said deciding the truth was best kept a secret. "Oh no, you can't get them back?" Quinn asked, clearly her idea was wrong, Will must have been comforting Emma, her house was sold without her knowing. "That's terrible Miss Pillsbury, but don't worry Brit and I will help you come up with a new and improved wardrobe, first stop Forever 21."

With the help of Brittany and Quinn Emma was able to get some great new outfits, some typical Emma and some more adventurous, "Thanks so much for your help girls I really appreciate it and I hope you have a great summer vacation, do you have any plans?" Emma asked, "Nope not really just chilling out" replied Brittany "Same here but I want to get a job." Quinn added. "Sounds good, I will let you know if I see any job offers Quinn, you would be great in a shop or salon, but I must be off, thanks again." Emma said as she headed out of the mall and back to Will as much as she enjoyed herself she had missed Will, his support through this rough time was really important to her.

"Hiya Em, by the looks of it you got some good shopping done." "I sure did, I can't wait to model them for you I think you will be surprised." Emma said as they headed for Will's house. "I set up the spare room for you Em, I hope it's okay." Will told her as he let them both in. "Its perfect Will, I still cannot thank you enough." Emma said as looked around the room noting all the special touches Will had added for her. "I am pretty tired Will, do you mind if I go to bed now." Emma asked as she sat down on the bed. "Of course I don't mind, but are you sure you won't be hungry." Will replied. "No I had a big lunch at the mall, Goodnight Will." "Night Em, sleep well."

Will was hoping for a romantic night in with Emma but now that she was staying with him there would be plenty of time for that. So he settled himself on the couch and watched the basketball. He had drifted off to sleep when he heard his phone ring, he reached for it and was greeted by a hysterical Rachel "Mr Schue, we need help, we were out celebrating and now it's gone too far I'm really worried about Brittany and Santana. We are at Puck's house, could you please come and help us." Rachel cried and Will could hear yelling in the background. "Hang on Rachel, I am on my way."

When Will arrived at Puck's he saw that it most definitely had been a wild night, there was mess everywhere and the music was very loud, he let himself in and saw that Rachel was not lying, Brittany and Santana were both passed out on the floor on top of each other.

He shook both of them and Santana woke up and then she was able to wake Brittany who could barely sit up. "What happened, where did the party go? Santana questioned as she stood up. "The party's over Santana, where were you planning on spending the night?" Will asked Santana who did not seemed to be a lot more alert than Brittany. "We both were going back to my house, my parents are away too." "Okay then Santana I need you to help Brittany in to my car and I'll take you there." Will said as the three of them headed towards his car. "What is everyone else doing for the night?" Will asked Santana, "Most of them are staying here, but you better bring Rachel back with us as she was the one who called you." Santana said. Will headed back inside and found Rachel trying to help Tina, "Hey Rachel, I need you to come with me back to Santana's." Will said gently noticing that Rachel appeared emotional. "Okay" Rachel answered clearly unable to form a sentence and she leaned on Will as they made it to his. Will double checked that the three girls were belted in and then took off, glad that Santana was able to direct them to her house and that her parents were indeed away.

For most of the trip Brittany was in tears and mentioning someone named Russell, Will had never heard of him before but Santana clearly had as she doing her best to calm a hysterical Brittany, Rachel on the other hand was fast asleep leaning against the wall. Will was nervous about leaving the girls alone, but he did want Emma to wake and find him gone so he made sure all three girls were safe in a bed and then went home, by this time it was 3 am and Will was grateful to find Emma still fast asleep.

That morning at a much more reasonable time Emma woke up to discover Will on the couch still full dressed. "Morning Will, are you okay?" Emma asked, "I got woken in the middle of the night to help the kids out" Will answered trying to edit so Emma would not panic. "They had a party at Puck's and it got a little crazy, Em have you ever heard Brittany talk about someone called Russell?" Emma's face became serious, "Yes, that is her older brother he is in Afghanistan fighting; she generally does not mention him as it upsets her, did she mention him to you?" "Well not exactly, last night on the way home she kept saying his name and crying, Santana was trying to calm her down, I'm sure nothing has happened Brit was very tipsy, not seeing them every day while they are on holidays is worrying me though." Will said. "You can trust them Will, they are all good kids and maybe you could hold a workshop though just to keep an eye on them, even though its holidays it's still what you all enjoy, maybe you could do a song-writing class." Emma said. "That's a great idea Emma." "We should practice more if we really are serious about winning Nationals."

Rachel was one step ahead of Will already, she had seen a competition for aspiring songwriters and had submitted Get it Right from regionals and a new song that she wrote after losing at Nationals. The prize was an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles to work with Kara DioGuardi, who had penned some of Rachel's favourite songs. Rachel decided not to tell anyone unless she did well.

Quinn's mum found her a summer job at a day care at the local community centre, Quinn would have preferred a job at the mall but as she had not had any offers, she took the job at the day care. Quinn was assigned to work with the 1 to 2 year olds and she found that despite her initial reservations she enjoyed working there, the kids were active and lively and Quinn was particularly warming to one little girl called Charlotte. The hardest part of each day was knowing that Beth would be the same age as Charlotte and Quinn could not help but wonder what Beth would be like. Quinn had no contact with Shelby and she was beginning to regret this decision as Shelby had been open to include Quinn in Beth's life but Quinn had chosen not to keep in touch as she thought it would be the easy, now she was starting to change her mind and wished that she had at least taken a contact number for Shelby.

Mercedes and Tina both had jobs at the mall, Mercedes was working at Target and Tina was working at Barnes and Noble, neither enjoyed the work but they enjoyed their lunch together and pay day. One lunch time they were discussing that they missed glee club, "I find it hard to keep practicing over summer, it is no were near as much fun to perform on your own." Tina admitted to Mercedes, "I know, I miss having the inspiration and motivation that glee club, I know that we are supposed to be on a break, but if we are serious about doing well at Nationals we need to be practicing all the time." Mercedes added, "I wonder if the others feel the same way as us?" "Well there is only way to find out, give Kurt a call? Actually it's strange that we haven't heard from him so far." Tina replied.

Pulling out her cell, Mercedes agreed with Tina, normally Kurt was calling them all the time. "Hi Kurt," Mercedes greeted him as he answered on the third ring, "Tina and I are on our lunch break at the mall and we were just talking about how we miss glee club, do you miss it too? Or are we being paranoid?" Mercedes asked as Tina began to giggle. "No you are definitely not being paranoid, I miss it too, and most of my days are spent with Blaine or at my dad's garage." "What do you think we should do, it would be weird to contact a teacher during the holidays." Kurt said, "Anyway I better go, I could meet at close tonight?" Kurt asked, "Sure see you then." Mercedes said as she hung up and her and Tina headed back to work.

Brittany despite being tipsy at the party was seriously upset about her brother Russell, he had been in Afghanistan for 2 years now and he had been in regular contact with Brittany assuring her that he was fine and was proud of the honour to fight for his country, Brittany was proud of him too but she did not tell anyone as it upset her to talk about him. Only Santana and Miss Pillsbury knew the truth and they were sworn to secrecy. The day of the party Brittany had heard that Russell was in intensive care as he had been shot in the leg, Brittany was told by her parents that it all looked okay and that her brother would be fine but Brittany was used to having the truth dumbed down for her and she could spot when her parents were babying her and this seemed like one of those times so Brittany was terrified. She had told Santana everything and Santana had done her best to comfort Brittany, but they both knew that it wasn't Santana's strong point, so Brittany decided to contact Miss Pillsbury.

Just as Brittany was calling Emma, Mercedes called Will so they both answered their mobiles, confused as to why the kids were contacting them. "Hi Mr Schue, Tina, Kurt and I were talking and we know that you told us to have a break but we all really miss glee practice." Mercedes said in a hurry. "Hi Mercedes, I'll be honest with you, I miss it too, I think it was a mistake to cut practice all together. Miss P had a suggestion of running some workshops and I think that I will start some, how does that sound?" Will offered. "It sounds perfect, if you could run them at night that would be great after a boring day at work." Mercedes replied. "Great well I'll keep you posted, say hi to Tina from me. Bye "

"Hi Miss Pillsbury, it's me Brittany, I need to talk to you." Brittany said sounding sad, "Hi Brittany, are you okay?'" Emma asked, knowing what Will had said yesterday Emma was becoming about the blonde, "I am okay its about Russell, I don't want to talk over the phone I want to see you in private, are you busy?" "No I am not busy Brittany, but I don't live alone anymore so just let me check if you can come over." Emma told Brittany, Emma looked over at Will but saw that he was still on the phone, "Its fine Brittany come over as soon as you can, I am at 23 Clover Avenue, see you soon." "Thank you so much" Brittany added as she hung up.

Will looked over sensing that her phone call was not of the same nature as his, "Em, who called you?" "It was Brittany, its private Will she is coming over and I need you to leave us alone please." Emma asked looking at Will with a sad face. "Under Brittany's fun exterior she is very fragile and vulnerable." Emma added, "It's okay Em, I will leave you alone you are amazing with all the kids, I just hope Brit is okay." Will said "I will go to the pub and watch the game okay, call me if you need help." Will said as he hopped off the couch and headed out.

Emma waited anxiously on the couch for Brittany running through some ideas of how she could help and remembering the first time Brittany had come to her office. Emma had not been at McKinley for very long when Principal Figgins recommended that she had a session with Brittany, Emma saw quickly that Brittany was not an academic student and struggled with almost all of her classes but that she was a sweet funny girl who was often misunderstood and took for being dumb. Emma had been having sessions with Brittany on and off ever since then and had been able to see the true Brittany who thrived under the spotlight and truly enjoyed performing for people and helping people.

As soon as Emma saw Brittany she knew that something was very wrong, it was obvious that Brittany had been crying and had not slept much the past night. Emma gave her a hug, knowing that Brittany would appreciate it. "Hi Brittany, please come and join me on the sofa, I want you to know that I am here for you if you want to talk or if you just want not to be alone." Emma said. "I want to talk, Russell is in intensive care as he was shot in the leg, and my parents told me that he is fine, but they don't keep fine people in care do they?" Brittany looked at Emma with a longing for an answer. "I don't think that your parents would lie to you Brittany" Emma began but Brittany interrupted, "They would lie to me, they always lie to me, they act like I can't handle the truth, but I can." Brittany said in rush, "You know I can Miss Pillsbury, please help me:"

"Do you have a contact number for your brother; you could try to ring him?" Emma suggested. "I have his mobile number but he often does not answer, it's worth a shot though, Brittany pulled out her mobile and tried his number. "It's ringing, come on Russel pick-up" Luckily there was an answer, "Hello, Russel's phone this is his friend Rob." "Hi Rob, this is Brittany I am Russel's sister, I need to know if he is okay" Brittany said in sobs. "Oh Wow, he has told me so much about you, I am so sorry to tell you this but I can't tell you that he is okay, he was shot in the leg two days ago and he is still in intensive care, we are waiting on a drug to arrive that should help him and I promise I will be in touch with you okay, Just stay positive Brit." Rob told her. "Thanks" Brittany replied as she knew she had to hang up. "It should be okay when a drug arrives" Brittany told Emma, "Well that's good news, did you need me to drive back to your house?" Emma asked. "Yes that would be good, Thanks for your help."

After Emma got back from dropping Brittany off, Will had come home and was eager to organize a catch up for the kids. He just knew that it was all the kids needed; they had been so close all year it was hard to lose that just because it was summer. Will went on face-book and set up an event for the next Thursday.

Finn who had been busy in Kurt's Dad garage and seeing Rachel was the first one reply to the event, as much as he enjoyed being with Rachel he missed the group. Rachel could be hard to handle at times and he needed to catch up with the guys to chill for a bit. Rachel was putting pressure on him to start looking at colleges with her and that felt so far a way to Finn even though it was just over a year away. It was hard for Finn to choose a college for football, singing or being near Rachel. Finn knew that Rachel had her heart set on a college in New York with Kurt and Blaine and probably Mercedes as well so Finn was looking at colleges in New England but nothing really appealed to him.

Within the next hour all the kids had responded with a yes and Kurt had asked if Blaine could come along. Will responded with a yes and let all the kids know that it would most likely become a weekly thing.

Quinn wanted the opportunity to catch up with Rachel as she hoped that Rachel would have a contact number or address for Shelby. Quinn was growing closer to Charlotte every day and it pained Quinn to know that she was missing out on these special memories with her daughter. She may have given Beth up for adoption but she would always be her birth mother and Quinn longed to know what her daughter looked like and acted like. Quinn never talked to Puck about her feelings but wondered if as a father did he feel the same way or had he moved on. Being single was also driving Quinn crazy, she had rarely been single since sophomore year and although she had wanted to concentrate on herself, she missed feeling loved. Quinn wanted to spend time with Brittany and Santana but they were generally together and Quinn hated feeling like the third wheel.

Kurt and Blaine both had summer jobs at the local café and were saving hard for college, they both had their hearts set on getting a scholarship, but knew that a scholarship didn't pay for everything. Together they also had been writing a musical that they hoped to use for senior year. It was obvious to both of them that they were the perfect couple and Kurt had high hopes that Blaine would transfer to McKinley for senior year. The only obstacle left was for Finn to accept Blaine; Kurt always felt tension whenever Blaine and Finn were together. Kurt had hoped for a summer of double dates between him, Blaine, Rachel and Finn but Finn was resisting the idea.

As planned everyone gathered at Will's house for the workshop. "Hi All, so glad you could all make I know that we all have a lot to catch up but the point of today's session is song writing, I believe our original give us an edge over the other teams and if we have more time to perfect our songs it might get us over the line. Is anyone feeling inspired?" Will asked the group.

"I think it is a good idea to split in to smaller teams for this workshop, it can be intimidating to share your ideas with everyone" Mercedes spoke up. "I have a pretty good idea that I would like to work on with Santana and Tina." So one by one people began to form groups until Rachel Brittany and Emma were left, so they became an unlikely group. Blaine, Mike and Puck were together, along with Quinn and Artie, Finn Will and Kurt made up the final group. "How about we have some fun with this and at the end of the day say 4, we regroup and perform for each other." Will suggested". Everyone can spread out and no cheating guys no plagiarism at all. Okay 5 hours to go, good luck."

Everyone spilt up and headed to different sections of the house, "I am super excited about I have the best idea in my head, I was inspired by a movie." Mercedes told Tina and Santana, "I always wanted to be part of an all girl group" Tina added, "We need some chorography as well."

Rachel was a bit surprised by her group but she was determined to make the best of it, "Does anyone have any ideas? "She asked Brittany and Miss Pillsbury. "How about writing about butterflies? Emma suggested, "I mean like about flying and becoming free, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly." "That actually is a good idea, Miss P, are voices could grow throughout the song as well." Rachel thought already writing in her head. "Can anyone play piano? That would be beautiful with a song about butterflies?" Emma looking nervous "I can play, I had lessons growing up and Mr Schue has been teaching me lately but I don't know how to read music." Emma told the girls, "That's okay we just need some melodic notes and we can go from there."

Quinn and Artie were working on a duet about long-distance love, something they knew nothing about but thought that it was emotional and powerful, "If I was away from someone I loved I would always be wondering what they were doing and would be constantly texting them and that's not powerful that's pathetic" Quinn said, "This is harder than I thought." Artie said, "I think we need to imagine that we have started college and write about not being with your partner there." "Maybe something like, "Just wanted to call you today, to hear your voice, to hear what you have been doing. Just wanted to forget that we are so far apart and to feel close to you again." Quinn said as she was humming, "Totally "Artie added, "1000 miles didn't seem so bad until it became the distance between us."

Finn, Kurt and Will had no idea what to write about, "Songs about love are so predictable, if we want to win we need to write about something else" Kurt opened with, "Majority of songs are about love in some way or another Kurt," Will replied, " You just need to think of a different situation and go from there."

Blaine, Mike and Puck formed another unlikely group but they thought instantly about writing a song about dancing – something they could all relate too. Their main inspiration was along the lines of Footloose. Time passed quickly for all the groups and it surprised them when the 4 o'clock alarm went off. "Okay everyone stop where you are and come back into the lounge room" Will called out to everyone. "I can see that everyone has worked really hard on this so I think that we should turn it into a mini-competition, at the end of everyone songs we will do a secret ballot." Of course this got the attention of the super competitive glee club members and everyone hurried into the lounge room. Emma asked "who wants to go first?'" "When no one offered to go first surprisingly not even Rachel. Will decided to take over. "Okay then, everyone names go in my hat, drum roll please … the first group is Blaine's."

"Our song is called Dance for the World" Puck announced as the guys took their places.

_Dance for the world, Dance for the world  
>People it's time now, Something's got to change<br>People, We no longer can live in pain_

_We've got to find the truth, We've got to know where it is  
>Cause we stand here together, Fighting year after year<br>We're lost in our search, We've been longing to find_

_We can't hold back no longer, Cause we're running out of time  
>People, my people, We've gone too far, It's time now<br>To find out just who we really are_

_I know you're weary, Your hearts full of fear  
>I see the hope inside you, Behind all the tears<br>If we could all just love one another,  
>We would see there is nothing more important<br>Or greater than love for the people_

"Awesome guys" Called out Will when everyone was done clapping, " Okay the next group is Brittany's"

"Our Song is called Growing Her Wings"

_Brother's in the backyard diggin' in the dirt  
>Mama's in the kitchen in an old t-shirt<br>Daddy's diesel's coming up the street  
>And she's in her bedroom growing her wings<em>

_They got her whole __life__ on lockdown  
>Doing time behind her bedroom door<br>I guess it's alright for right now  
>But outside her <em>_window__ there's  
>A whole wide world to see<br>She's dreaming about the girl she's gonna be  
>Stuck in her small town, growing her wings<em>

_The neighbour boy taught her how to kiss  
>And daddy's got eyes in the back of his head<br>He said, no dating 'til you're 18  
>Now she's in her room grounded, growing her wings<em>

_She wants to fly and never look down  
>But tonight she's tucked inside a tiny little town<br>In a little twin bed all safe and sound  
>And there's a whole wide world to see<em>

_She's dreaming about the girl that she's gonna be  
>Stuck in her small town, growing her wings<em>

Artie's name was chosen next, "Our song is called I Miss You"

_I called you today, just to hear you say you were not around  
>When the message was through, though I wanted to<br>I couldn't make a sound  
>I wanna tell you the things I've seen<br>I wanna take you to where I've been  
>And I wish you were here with me<br>Don't you know_

_Oh I really miss you - Yes I do - Yeah  
>Oh I really miss you - Ohhh yeah I do<em>

_I'm writing to say - Had a wonderful day,  
>hanging' with my friends<br>But the memory dies as the sun leaves the skies - I'm alone again  
>I wanna tell you the weather is fine<br>When the night comes around you were on my mind  
>And I wish you were here with me<br>Don't you know_

_Oh I really miss you - Yes I do - Yeah  
>Oh I really miss you - Yes I do - I miss you<br>Oh I really miss you - Ohhh yeah I do_

_I wanna tell you the things I've seen  
>I wanna take you to where I've been<br>And I wish you were here with me  
>Oh don't you know<br>I miss you_

Mercedes's name was called next. "Our song is called Because"

_It's all because,  
>I waited for so long, you showed me you were the one,<br>I gave you my heart, right from the very start so,  
>Every time you lied, I knew inside,<br>Get another chance, I was hurting, I was broken  
>I stayed to long and so that's why, you didn't think that I'd move on,<em>

_It's all because, I loved you, I held you, I believed you,  
>You're not what I needed, I'm stronger,<br>(Because) I'm better, (Because) without you, you'd thought I'd be in pieces,  
>because, I loved you, I loved you, (Because) I loved you<em>

_You gave me, just one thing, but taking from the beginning  
>You left me, a heart ache, how much more could I take,<br>With every alibi, that made me cry, I'd still give you more,  
>I should've given up, when I had had enough,<br>But I stayed too long, that's why, you didn't think that I'd move on, _

_I made a mistake of giving me to you,  
>I made a mistake of loving you<em>

_It's all because I loved you._

64


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